A review by ranahabib
The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World by Niall Ferguson
3.0
7.5/10 (Would’ve been an 8 if chapters 4&5 didn’t bore me so much)
First three chapters (banks, bonds, & markets) were the most interesting
Chapters 4&5 (insurance & mortgages/housing) were the least interesting
Given the nature of the topic, the book suffers from information overload (which i was expecting anyway). However, I give Ferguson props for his ambition in writing this book. Covering the financial history of the world is no easy task.
Pros:
- I like that he split it up into different financial sectors as opposed to different regions.
- I love learning about world history so I enjoyed the book for the most part.
Cons:
- I hated Ferguson’s writing style; his sentences were long winded & wordy, which was annoying.
First three chapters (banks, bonds, & markets) were the most interesting
Chapters 4&5 (insurance & mortgages/housing) were the least interesting
Given the nature of the topic, the book suffers from information overload (which i was expecting anyway). However, I give Ferguson props for his ambition in writing this book. Covering the financial history of the world is no easy task.
Pros:
- I like that he split it up into different financial sectors as opposed to different regions.
- I love learning about world history so I enjoyed the book for the most part.
Cons:
- I hated Ferguson’s writing style; his sentences were long winded & wordy, which was annoying.